Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to purchase Women’s & Children’s Hospital from HCA Healthcare. Over the next 90-120 days, both organizations will continue the due diligence process towards an official announcement of a final sale agreement.

According to Lourdes' officials, they wanted "to create a comprehensive system of care for families in Acadiana."

“This is an extremely meaningful opportunity to reunite our Catholic healthcare ministry with obstetric and pediatric-focused services and have an even greater impact on families in this region,” said Bryan Lee, Our Lady of Lourdes’ chief executive officer. “We look forward to a successful expansion of care in this community, working alongside the medical staff and nearly 800 team members at Women’s & Children’s Hospital.”

“Women’s & Children’s and Lourdes have had a long, collegial relationship,” said Leona Boullion, Women’s & Children’s Hospital’s interim chief executive officer. This is a natural fit of two closely aligned organizations that will better serve the healthcare needs of the entire family.”

The sale is expected to close this year.

Read the full letter to employees and patients below:

Women’s & Children’s Hospital family,

As we recognize 35 years of caring for moms, babies and children throughout Acadiana, I have a significant announcement that will position Women’s & Children’s Hospital to build on this legacy for our next 35 years and beyond.

Should this sale be finalized, Women’s & Children’s Hospital will become part of the Our Lady of Lourdes network, where we will work together to provide an expert, comprehensive system of care to meet the healthcare needs of entire families throughout Acadiana.

There are no plans to eliminate jobs or reduce wages as a result of this sale. All years of service with Women’s & Children’s will be honored by Our Lady of Lourdes, and any changes or opportunities in benefits will be communicated by their team in the near future.

Over the next two-to-three months, both organizations will continue the due diligence process towards a final agreement. We expect the sale to be completed this year, pending regulatory and governance approvals. Both hospitals will continue operations without interruption throughout the due diligence period.

I know you have many questions. We will do our best to answer them, but please note that we are relatively early in this process. Even though these conversations were initiated several months ago, there is still work to be done, and some issues and opportunities are still being explored.

It was important to us, though, that we make this announcement as soon as we could and keep you informed as these talks progress. Additionally, the leadership team at Our Lady of Lourdes is eager to meet you and hear your feedback and concerns to make this a collaborative effort.

Attached is a schedule of town hall meetings over the next few days that Our Lady of Lourdes representatives will attend to introduce themselves and provide additional information.

Our Lady of Lourdes leaders will also begin reaching out to physicians tomorrow morning to establish meetings with providers and physician groups. They are also setting up a series of breakfast roundtables next week and into July to initiate ongoing conversations with our medical staff as this process develops.

Women’s & Children’s and Our Lady of Lourdes have enjoyed a long, collegial relationship over the years, and bringing our organizations together is a positive opportunity for everyone – especially for the families we are privileged to serve. Thank you for your patience, ongoing support and most importantly, your commitment to our patients.